Submarine rescue means



0% 1932- H. E. GRIESHABER SUBMARINE RESCUE MEANS Original Filed Aug. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet f/wevzfifi- 152590 Z Gmtsfzabcsw Oct. 11, 1932- GRESHABER 1,881,512

SUBMARINE RESCUE MEANS Original Filed Aug. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 figg0 Z. Gwz'ashabcr 5 MW, WyM

Patented Oct. 11 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGO E. GBIESHABER', OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SUBMARINE RESCUE MEANS 'Original application filed August 28, 1930, Serial No. 478,323. Divided and this application filed June 6,

This invention relates to rescue means for use with disabled submarine boats, and is more particularlydirected to a buoy and associated means for carrying a cable from a disabled and submerged boat to the surface.

This application is a division of my copending application for rescue tank, Serial No. 478,323, filed August 28, 1930.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a marker buoy and a cable connecting the buoy to a submarine boat in a manner to assure that the buoy, when released, will carry the end of the cable attached thereto to the surface, the buoy being so disposed as not to occupy valuable space within the hull of the boat. v

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull of the submarine boat, such means being operable from within the hull.

A still further object is to dispose the buoy cable in such manner as to assure proper release of the buoy and paying out of the cable as the buoy rises to the surface.

Further objects and advantages of my in-' vention will appear from the following detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the access hatch trunk and the buoy compartment and associated parts of a submarine boat in accordance with my invention; and

Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammatic view similar to Figure 1, but showing the marker buoy released and at the surface of the sea.

In Figure 1, I have shown fragmentarily, a submarine boat B having a hull 1, a superstructure 2, and an access hatch'trunk 3 extending through the upper portion of the hull. The upper end of trunk 8 is closed by a suitable cover 4 hinged at 5 and having associated therewith suitable gear 6 for securing the cover tightly closed. A gasket 7 is mounted in the under side of the cover 4 and seats upon the coaming at the upper end of trunk 3 to effect a water tight closure therewith. The cover locking gear includes a cl'evis member 8 which screws onto the shank of an eye 9, the base of this eye bearing upon the lower portion of member 23.

Serial No. 542,554.

The manhole cover 10 is hinged to the main cover 4 at 120 and is secured in closed position by a hook bolt 13 passing through the cover 10 and engaging beneath cover 4. A nut 14 screws upon the upper end of bolt 13 and bears against a collar 15 of an indicating and locking member 16 through the collar 15' of which the bolt 18 passes, the bolt being connected to the collar in a known manner was to prevent relative turning movement between the bolt and the collar. Normally, nut 14 is turned tightly onto the bolt so as to secure the manhole cover 10 in closed position. A gasket 17 is suitably mounted in main cover 4 and coacts with the cover 10 to form a water tight and pressure resistant closure therewith.

A buoy'18 is mounted in a buoy compartment or well 19 disposed between the superstructure 2 and hull 1. This buoy may be of any suitable construction and configuration, and is provided with a central sleeve 20. A rod 21 extends through this sleeve and is provided, at its upper end, with an eye 22. A member 23 is suitably secured upon the lower end of rod 21 and is provided, at its lower end, with an element 24 of squared cross section. This element fits snugly into a corresponding socket in the upper section 25a of a release gear housing 25 suitably secured to a reinforcing plate 26 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the inner face of the upper portion of hull 1. Thisplate and the hull are provided with registering and downwardly tapering openings to accommodate A shaft 27 is rotatably mounted through lower section 25?) of housing 25, and an operating crank 28 all is suitably secured upon the lower end of this shaft. A water tight closure is effected about shaft 27 by means of a stuffing box 29. The shaft 27 is held against endwise movement by means of a collar 30 secured thereon, this collar fitting into a suitable recess in the housing 25. The upper portion of shaft 27 is threaded and screws into the lower end of element 2 1. v This provides means for releasably securing the buoy 18 in its compartment 19 and for holding it seated upon supporting blocks 31 secured upon the outer face of hull 1. Preferably, a plate 32 is secured to float or buoy 18, by suitable brackets 33 ,this plate serving to cover the upper end of compartment 19 and also forming a continuation of the deck of the superstructure 2. As will be noted, the buoy 18 tapers downwardly and the buoy compartment flares upwardly, so that the buoy, when released, can read ily pass upwardly out of the compartment.

A cable 3& is coiled within the lower portion of compartment 19, beneath the buoy. One end of the cable is provided with an eye member 35 which is suitably secured, as by means of a shackle 36, to member 23. The other end of the cable is provided with a clevis 37 suitably secured, as by means of a pin 38, to eye 9. Chamber 19 is provided, in the side thereof adjacent trunk 3, with an offset forming a channel element 39 extending from the top to the bottom of the chamber or compartment 19. This channel element accommodates the free portion of the cable leading from the coil within compartment 18 and eliminates possibility of fouling of the buoy by the cable, while also preventing possibility of binding of the buoy in its compartment due to contact with the cable. In the event of the boat being disabled and submerged, buoy 18 is released by turning shaft 27 in the proper direction to screw this shaft out of element 24 of member 23. This serves also to raise the buoy slightly off of the sup porting blocks 31 and, when the buoy is released, it readily rises out of the compartment 19 and floats to the surface, as in Figure 2.

The buoy and the cable provide means for attaching the rescue tank or other like means to the cover of the access hatch trunk of the disabled submarine boat. Obviously, the boat may be provided with as many access hatch trunks and associated buoys as may be desirable or necessary, and with theuse of the above described buoy and cable arrangement,

a rescue tank may make as many trips to and from the boat as may be required for eifecting the rescue operation.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the point of attachment of the end of cable 34: to the manhole cover 10, is centrally of this cover which is disposed centrally of the main cover 4, so thatthe attachment of the cable to the access hatch trunk structure is also centrally of the main cover and at the axis of the trunk 3. Upon release of the buoy, the other end of the cable is carried to the surface by the buoy and this cable provides means for drawing down from the surface, onto the access hatch trunk structure and in centered relation thereto, a rescue device or car which is attached to the end of the cable raised to the surface by the buoy. In this manner, the res= cue tank can be drawn down and seated upon the trunk hatch structure in centered relation thereto with "a: minimum loss of time, and

This is, highly important since time is frequently a without the assistance of divers.

able exteriorly of the trunk, an upwardly flaring buoy compartment exterior of the hull of the boat at the top thereof, a buoy mounted in said compartment and freely movable through the upper end thereof, means operable from within the hull for releasably securing the buoy in the compartment, said compartment being provided with an offset element, and a cable releasably secured at one end to thebuoy and coil d in the lower portion of the compartment, said cable passing through the offset element of said compartment and having its other end secured to the manhole cover.

2. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk and a main cover therefor, said main cover being provided with a manhole, a cover for the manhole removable exteriorly of the trunk, a locking gearfor securing the main cover closed, said gear including a clevis member, an eye member passing through the manhole cover and bearing upon the outer face thereof, said eye member screwing into the clevis member, means supplemental to the locking gear and releasable eXteriorly of the trunk for securing the manhole cover closed, a buoy exterior of the huil of the boat, means operable from within the hull for releasably securing the buoy to said hull, and a cable secured at one end to the eye member and having its other end releasably secured to the buoy.

3. In combination, a submarine boat having a hull and a superstructure thereon, a marker buoy compartment disposed exteriorly of the hull and between the superstructure and the hull, said compartment openingupwardly, a buoy mounted in the compartment and freely movable through the upper end thereof, said buoy having a size and'shape to provide storage space in the compartment, a cable connected to the lower end of the buoy and coiled in the storage space within the compartment, said compartment being provided with an offset element and the cable passing upwardly through the offset element of said compartment and having its other end secured to the boat, and means operable from within the hull of the boat for releasably securing the buoy to said hull, said buoy being otherwise free from the hull.

4. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hat-ch trunk structure extending through the hull and including a removable closure member, a buoy exterior of the hull, means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull and operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy, and a cable attached at one end to the buoy and having its other end attached to the hatch trunk structure substantially centrally of the hatch trunk for drawingdown fro-m the surface and onto the trunk structure, in centered relation to the trunk, a rescue tank attached to the end of the cable carried to the surface by the buoy when the latter is released.

5. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk extending through the hull, a removable closure member for the outer end of the trunk, a buoy exterior of the hull, means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull and operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy, and a cable attached at one end to the buoy and having its other end attached to the cover member centrally of the hatch trunk for drawing down from the surface and onto the trunk, in centered relation thereto, a rescue tank attached to the end of the cable carried to the surface by the buoy when the latter is released.

6. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk extending through the hull, a main cover for the outer end of the trunk provided with a manhole, a removable cover for the manhole, a buoy exterior of the hull, means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull and operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy, and a cable attached at one end to the buoy and having its other end attached to the manhole cover i centrally of the main cover for drawing down onto the main cover, in centered relation thereto, a rescue tank attached to the end of the cable carried to the surface by the buoy when the latter is released.

7 In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk extending through the hull, a main cover for the outer end of the trunk provided with a manhole, a removable cover for the manhole, means re leasable exterior of the hull for securing the manhole cover closed, a buoy exterior of the hull, means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull and operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy, and a cable attached at one end to the buoy and having its other end attached to the manhole cover centrally of the main cover for drawing down onto the main cover, in centered relation thereto, a rescue tank attached to the end of thecable carried to the surface by the buoy when the latter is released.

8. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk extending through the hull, a main cover for the outer end of the trunk provided with a manhole, a removable cover for the manhole, a buoy exterior of the hull, means for releasably securing the buoy to the hull and operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy, a cable attached at one end to the buoy, and means releasable exterior of the trunk for securing the manhole cover closed, said manhole cover securing means including means for attaching the other end of the cable to the manhole cover centrally of the main cover for drawing down onto the main cover, in centered relation thereto, a rescue tank attached to the end of the cable carried to the surface by the buoy when the latter is released.

9. In combination, a submarine boat having an access hatch trunk structure extending through the hull and including a removable closure member, a buoy, means operable from within the hull for releasing the buoy exteriorly of the hull, and a cable attached at one end to the buoy and having its other end attached to the hatch trunk structure centrally thereof for drawing down onto said structure and in centered relation thereto a rescue device attached to the end of the cable carried to the surface by the buoy.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of May, 1931.

HUGO E. GRIESHABER. 

